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AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsVanEric Edward Stein, Robin Edward Richards, David Douglas Brengel, Michael Francis Carolan
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A method for controlling the sulfur dioxide partial pressure in a pressurized, heated, oxygen-containing gas mixture which is contacted with an ion-conducting metallic oxide membrane which permeates oxygen ions. The sulfur dioxide partial pressure in the oxygen-depleted non-permeate gas from the membrane module is maintained below a critical sulfur dioxide partial pressure, pSO2*, to protect the membrane material from reacting with sulfur dioxide and reducing the oxygen flux of the membrane. Each ion-conducting metallic oxide material has a characteristic critical sulfur dioxide partial pressure which is useful in determining the required level of sulfur removal from the feed gas and/or from the fuel gas used in a direct-fired feed gas heater.
A method for the operation of an ion-conducting membrane system including at least one ion-conducting metallic oxide membrane which divides the system into a feed side and a permeate side, each side having an inlet and an outlet, which method comprises providing a pressurized, heated, oxygen-containing gas mixture which also contains sulfur dioxide, introducing the compressed, heated, oxygen-containing gas mixture into the feed side of the membrane system, transporting oxygen ions through the ion-conducting membrane, withdrawing a hot, oxygen-depleted, non-permeate gas from the outlet of the feed side, and maintaining the sulfur dioxide partial pressure in the hot, oxygen-depleted, non-permeate gas mixture at the outlet of the feed side of the zone at a value below a critical sulfur dioxide partial pressure, pSO2*, which is defined as the sulfur dioxide partial pressure above which sulfur dioxide reacts with the ion-conducting metallic oxide membrane to reduce oxygen flux through the membrane material and below which sulfur dioxide does not react with the ion-conducting metallic oxide membrane to reduce oxygen flux through the membrane material, wherein pSO2* is defined at the temperature of the hot, oxygen-depleted, non-permeate gas at the outlet of the feed side of the zone.
A method for the recovery of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas mixture which also contains sulfur dioxide, which method comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.